A 17-year-old girl facing prostitution charges yesterday had a frank and sobering exchange with a magistrate who warned her of the dire consequences of leading a life of truancy.

What are you going to do with your life

The girl, who cannot be named by court order, stood in the dock as Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit asked her for a straight answer to her question: “What are you going to do with your life?”

The girl said she wanted to change her ways and pleaded to be given yet another chance to prove herself and be allowed to live with her mother.

The magistrate admitted she was having a hard time believing her because of her track record.

The teenager was in court after breaching the conditions of a supervision order. She was meant to have been following a drug rehabilitation programme but quit two months short of completing it.

It especially irked the magistrate when the girl said she did not need it.

Following the last sitting two weeks ago, the girl was remanded in custody. She had now learned her lesson, she said, and she definitely did not want to spend any more time behind bars.

“The only person who could visit me was my mother and it was very strict, I could not even smoke,” she added in an attempt to prove to the magistrate that she was truly ready to change her ways.

Magistrate Stafrace Zammit said she should not be smoking anyway and that her patience was running out.

The girl replied that she could attend the group rehabilitation sessions, held every day for half a day, if given the chance.

She also pointed out she thought it strange that she had tested positive for drugs right before being remanded into custody and yet when she was tested inside, the test ­­­o defer the case for a few days until the tests issue was sorted out.

Her lawyer made a plea for bail until then so the girl could be allowed to live with her mother but the magistrate denied the request. ­­­­